Joaquin Buckley Expects To Leapfrog Rakhmonov For Next Title Shot With KO Over Covington

The final UFC events of 2024 come with some big stakes attached for the welterweight division. Last weekend at UFC 310 in Las Vegas, Shavkat Rakhmonov cemented his status as the number one contender. In the battle of the undefeated 170-pounds in the co-main event on December 7, “Nomad” earned his first decision win to […]

The final UFC events of 2024 come with some big stakes attached for the welterweight division. Last weekend at UFC 310 in Las Vegas, Shavkat Rakhmonov cemented his status as the number one contender.

In the battle of the undefeated 170-pounds in the co-main event on December 7, “Nomad” earned his first decision win to defeat Ireland’s Ian Machado Garry. Having been set to face Belal Muhammad for the title on this date until the champion withdrew, the two men shared a face-off inside the Octagon after Rakhmonov got his hand raised.

UFC Tampa is up next where in the main event of the Octagon’s final stop of the year, Joaquin Buckley will look to continue his career-best form when he takes on the former interim champion, Colby Covington. “New Mansa” was originally set to face Garry on this card but against a returning Covington, he believes he still has the opportunity to shake up the division by making a statement.

With a five-fight winning streak and the #9-ranking next to his name, Buckley told UFC.com in a recent interview that he believes he could insert himself into the title picture if he becomes just the second man to knockout “Chaos” at the Amalie Arena on Saturday night.

“We saw the performance that Ian Garry and Shavkat put on, it wasn’t that fun to watch right. I feel like for me, it’s just like the performance that I’m gonna put on Colby Covington, I can probably take the opportunity to fight for the belt one day. Even though Shavkat earned his spot, sometimes things happen, some things fall out so with that being said, once I get a good knockout over Colby Covington, I feel like I’m next to fight for that belt.”

Michael ‘Venom’ Page: UFC 310 Version Of Rakhmonov Would Get ‘Munched’ By Muhammad

UFC welterweight Michael “Venom” Page believes Shavkat Rakhmonov will have to be a lot better than he was this past weekend if he’s to successfully dethrone Belal Muhammad. Rakhmonov successfully defended his top contender status at the UFC 310 pay-per-view on Dec. 7, a date that was originally set to mark his first title shot […]

UFC welterweight Michael “Venom” Page believes Shavkat Rakhmonov will have to be a lot better than he was this past weekend if he’s to successfully dethrone Belal Muhammad.

Rakhmonov successfully defended his top contender status at the UFC 310 pay-per-view on Dec. 7, a date that was originally set to mark his first title shot on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage.

The undefeated Kazakh saw his opportunity fall through when an injury ruled Muhammad out, and he was instead tasked with stalling Ian Garry’s hopes of leapfrogging him to the front of the queue.

He did so on the night but had to overcome plenty of adversity to have his hand raised after five rounds of action inside the T-Mobile Arena.

The competitive nature of the bout has led many to different conclusions, be it Garry being more elite than some had thought or “Nomad” underperforming.

During a UFC 310 reaction video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Page fell on the latter side of that.

The former Bellator standout suggested that the reigning welterweight champ would have enjoyed a comfortable first title defense opposite the iteration of Rakhmonov that made the walk in Las Vegas this past weekend.

“Shavkat couldn’t get anything. Rakhmonov’s fitness and muscular endurance definitely let him down. His balance seems to be very off. This was definitely, by far, not the best Rakhmonov we’ve seen,” Page said. “Although he’s won it, I think anybody looking at this will look at him like, ‘Yeah, I can beat this guy.’

“Not saying he’s not dangerous. You can see he’s definitely a dangerous person. But this wasn’t good. This wasn’t his best performance,” Page continued. “A hundred percent now, this Shavkat here, if he had fought Belal, Belal was munching him, yamming him for breakfast.”

Had things turned out differently in the summer, “MVP” could have been the one sharing the cage with Rakhmonov at this year’s final PPV. The Londoner was narrowly outpointed by the Irishman at UFC 303 in June, moving him to an even 1-1 record since joining the promotion in late 2023.

While he and Garry looked ahead to their respective opportunities to return to the win column in 2025, Rakhmonov will have his eyes on nothing but Muhammad and the champ’s belt.

UFC Commentator: Champion Belal Muhammad Has Advantage After Shavkat Rakhmonov Performance

UFC Commentator: Champion Belal Muhammad Has Advantage After Shavkat Rakhmonov PerformanceBelal Muhammad is probably feeling pretty good about his chances against Shavkat Rakhmonov after seeing ‘Nomad’ go five rounds…

UFC Commentator: Champion Belal Muhammad Has Advantage After Shavkat Rakhmonov Performance

Belal Muhammad is probably feeling pretty good about his chances against Shavkat Rakhmonov after seeing ‘Nomad’ go five rounds at UFC 310.

While Rakhmonov scored his 19th career win in the evening’s co-main event, his clash with Ian Machado Garry left a lot to be desired. Rakhmonov largely dominated the action against the fence and logged nearly 12 minutes of control time en route to a unanimous decision victory, but it was the first time that the Kazakh looked human since UFC fans became familiar with him in 2020.

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Looking back on Saturday’s scrap during an appearance on Michael Bisping’s Believe You Me podcast, Paul Felder thinks the reigning welterweight world champion probably got a big boost of confidence after seeing how the title eliminator between Rakhmonov and Garry played out in Las Vegas.

“I think if you’re Belal, you’re pretty happy with either one of those guys winning, right? I mean, they spent a lot of time in the clinch,” Felder said. “There were a lot of moments of inactivity, whereas a guy like Belal Muhammad is going to be relentless in those positions—against the fence, with the takedown attempts.

“Now, I know Shavkat potentially had a pretty bad knee injury that he was dealing with. How badly that affected him, we can’t really know, but he did look a little off to me. But I’m telling you, if I’m the champ, I’m excited for the next matchup with him. I think a lot of times we see when these guys are so scary and get all these finishes, once somebody shows a little bit of weakness in them—shows that there’s a chance to beat them—other guys are very excited at the opportunity. So, I’m excited to see that fight happen.”

Rakhmonov reportedly went into UFC 310 with a pre-existing injury

With the win, Rakhmonov is expected to be the first man to challenge Muhammad after ‘Remember The Name’ scored a decisive decision win over ex-champion Leon Edwards earlier this year in Manchester. Originally, Muhammad had hoped to defend his title at UFC 310, but a bone infection in his foot forced him to bow out of the bout.

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According to Daniel Cormier, Rakhmonov tore his MCL ahead of the fight with Garry which could explain why ‘Nomad’ chose to take a more measured approach against Garry.

“If I’m Belal Muhammad, I’m actually kind of happy watching this fight tonight because Shavkat Rakhmonov did not look like himself even though I learned after that he had an injury,” Cormier said in a video on his YouTube channel. “I think he might have tore his MCL going into the fight. Granted, with a torn ligament in your knee you’re not going to look like the killer that you looked like in fights prior.”

No details have been revealed regarding the extent of the injury or how long it could put Rakhmonov on the shelf, but he is expected to undergo an MRI this week.

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Kamaru Usman Assesses Shavkat Rakhmonov, Ian Garry After UFC 310: ‘There’s Holes In Both Of Their Games’

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman was watching closely as two undefeated contenders at 170-pounds met in the co-main event of UFC 310 this past Saturday. Cementing his status as the next title challenger, Shavkat Rakhmonov beat Ian Machado Garry in his first pro win via the scorecards. Despite taking the fight on a few […]

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman was watching closely as two undefeated contenders at 170-pounds met in the co-main event of UFC 310 this past Saturday. Cementing his status as the next title challenger, Shavkat Rakhmonov beat Ian Machado Garry in his first pro win via the scorecards.

Despite taking the fight on a few weeks notice after Belal Muhammad withdrew from his scheduled title defense against Rakhmonov, Garry was able to test the man that many believe to be the boogeyman of the division, so much so that he doesn’t feel like he lost. Later updates on Rakhmonov’s physical health, along with the Irishman’s performance, could be reasons why he didn’t look at his best despite getting the win.

Usman was one of the names that many wanted to see step in to face Rakhmonov on December 7 and Garry has publicly criticized “The Nigerian Nightmare” for not taking fights on multiple occasions. During the latest episode of his Pound 4 Pound podcast, Usman gave his thoughts on the fight.

Though he said that he doesn’t want to give too much away in case he ends up fighting either man at some point, Usman believes that Rakhmonov and Garry exposed each others weaknesses at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“I am a wrestler. Once Ian got taken down a few times, then the fight kinda got away from him. Shavkat, as far as standing and putting the combinations together, he couldn’t really do that well with Ian Garry. There’s holes in both of their games.”

Despite this, Usman went on to give both men credit for the mentality that they showed in the fight.

“It shows how Shavkat is a dog. He’s willing to just do whatever it takes to get in there and get that win, and so is Ian. It’s just that Shavkat was a little bit more of a dog than Ian Garry.”

UFC Rankings Report: Kai Asakura Debuts In Flyweight Top 15 After UFC 310 Loss

As always, the latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the ladder toward contention and others fall away. And in the aftermath of UFC 310, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings. Men’s Pound-For-Pound: Alexandre Pantoja emerged victorious from Saturday’s main event, choking out newcomer Kai Asakura […]

As always, the latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the ladder toward contention and others fall away.

And in the aftermath of UFC 310, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.

Men’s Pound-For-Pound: Alexandre Pantoja emerged victorious from Saturday’s main event, choking out newcomer Kai Asakura to stay flyweight kingpin. As a result, the Brazilian has received a boost up the P4P ladder, now sharing the #9 spot with Leon Edwards. Pantoja’s two-place rise has seen Alexander Volkanovski slip the same distance back to #11.

Women’s Pound-for-Pound: TBC

Women’s Strawweight: TBC

Women’s Flyweight: TBC

Women’s Bantamweight: TBC

Flyweight: While unsuccessful in capturing gold on his debut, Asakura has still joined the ranks of contenders with numbers next to their names at 125 pounds. The Japanese star has arrived at #14, with UFC 310 victor Joshua Van also entering at #15. Those debuts have led to Cody Durden, Van’s defeated opponent, and Matt Schnell exiting the UFC rankings.

Bantamweight: TBC

Featherweight: Movsar Evloev kept his undefeated record intact on the UF 310 preliminary card, getting past former bantamweight kingpin Aljamain Sterling in a competitive grappling affair. The Russian has now climbed one spot to #4 in the division, demoting Yair Rodríguez to #5.

Lightweight: TBC

Welterweight: Shavkat Rakhmonov was among the biggest winners in Las Vegas on Saturday night, as he fought through a torn MCL to outpoint former training partner Ian Garry in the co-main event. The triumph has elevated him above Kamaru Usman to #2 in the UFC rankings ahead of an expected title shot in 2025. The Irishman, meanwhile, has stayed put at #7.

Middleweight: TBC

Light Heavyweight: The resurgence of Dominick Reyes continued at UFC 310, where he dominantly put away fellow former title challenger Anthony Smith by way of TKO. “The Devastator” is now up one position to #11, leaving Azamat Murzakanov a place worse off at #11. “Lionheart,” meanwhile, has continued to slip down the pecking order. He;’s now been passed by Bogdan Guskov (#13) and occupies the #14 spot.

Heavyweight: TBC

You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.

UFC Rankings Report: Kai Asakura Debuts In Flyweight Top 15 After UFC 310 Loss

As always, the latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the ladder toward contention and others fall away. And in the aftermath of UFC 310, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings. Men’s Pound-For-Pound: Alexandre Pantoja emerged victorious from Saturday’s main event, choking out newcomer Kai Asakura […]

As always, the latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the ladder toward contention and others fall away.

And in the aftermath of UFC 310, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.

Men’s Pound-For-Pound: Alexandre Pantoja emerged victorious from Saturday’s main event, choking out newcomer Kai Asakura to stay flyweight kingpin. As a result, the Brazilian has received a boost up the P4P ladder, now sharing the #9 spot with Leon Edwards. Pantoja’s two-place rise has seen Alexander Volkanovski slip the same distance back to #11.

Women’s Pound-for-Pound: TBC

Women’s Strawweight: TBC

Women’s Flyweight: TBC

Women’s Bantamweight: TBC

Flyweight: While unsuccessful in capturing gold on his debut, Asakura has still joined the ranks of contenders with numbers next to their names at 125 pounds. The Japanese star has arrived at #14, with UFC 310 victor Joshua Van also entering at #15. Those debuts have led to Cody Durden, Van’s defeated opponent, and Matt Schnell exiting the UFC rankings.

Bantamweight: TBC

Featherweight: Movsar Evloev kept his undefeated record intact on the UF 310 preliminary card, getting past former bantamweight kingpin Aljamain Sterling in a competitive grappling affair. The Russian has now climbed one spot to #4 in the division, demoting Yair Rodríguez to #5.

Lightweight: TBC

Welterweight: Shavkat Rakhmonov was among the biggest winners in Las Vegas on Saturday night, as he fought through a torn MCL to outpoint former training partner Ian Garry in the co-main event. The triumph has elevated him above Kamaru Usman to #2 in the UFC rankings ahead of an expected title shot in 2025. The Irishman, meanwhile, has stayed put at #7.

Middleweight: TBC

Light Heavyweight: The resurgence of Dominick Reyes continued at UFC 310, where he dominantly put away fellow former title challenger Anthony Smith by way of TKO. “The Devastator” is now up one position to #11, leaving Azamat Murzakanov a place worse off at #11. “Lionheart,” meanwhile, has continued to slip down the pecking order. He;’s now been passed by Bogdan Guskov (#13) and occupies the #14 spot.

Heavyweight: TBC

You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.